Stabiliser cows to charolais bull

[foxbox]

How's your brother got on @Bill dog ?
And @foxbox ?

We had a nightmare with AI last year and so only have 5 Stan The Man calves at foot at the moment (same problem with a Sim AI bull too and chief suspect is the drought that followed AI). I've not checked the records but I think we assisted 3 of those - all presented correctly however all had their front legs pulled back a little (toes under the chin instead of legs extended) so we just drew the legs to extension by hand and walked away. They'd have calved very easily if properly presented and I've no explanation for it, not sure it's fair to pin it on the bull and maybe just one of those things? The birth weights were very consistent around 40 - 42 kg; all were up and suckling very quickly with some great temperament heifers too. The calves were looking well last time I was against them; I've snapped my achilles tendon and barely been on the farm since the start of May so no pictures or recent sightings of them I'm afraid.

We've AI'd 30 heifers and cows this year with Black Resolution and the returns suggest very good conception rates so fingers crossed that's the case after the experience last year! I've also used 6 Sim straws (Exclusive I think) to see how they compare.

We've also dived in and bought a Stabiliser bull; I've no intention of becoming a multiplier but the only way we're going to establish if the breed can offer the best of both worlds for replacements and commercial finished stock on our system is to test it so that's what we're doing. It's likely we'll be adding a 3rd stock bull to the herd next year as numbers rise but at the moment I'm leaning towards a continental, most likely a Lim. I only buy bulls with EBV's now and the Blondes have just about given up on recording which is quite a sad situation really.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

We had a nightmare with AI last year and so only have 5 Stan The Man calves at foot at the moment (same problem with a Sim AI bull too and chief suspect is the drought that followed AI). I've not checked the records but I think we assisted 3 of those - all presented correctly however all had their front legs pulled back a little (toes under the chin instead of legs extended) so we just drew the legs to extension by hand and walked away. They'd have calved very easily if properly presented and I've no explanation for it, not sure it's fair to pin it on the bull and maybe just one of those things? The birth weights were very consistent around 40 - 42 kg; all were up and suckling very quickly with some great temperament heifers too. The calves were looking well last time I was against them; I've snapped my achilles tendon and barely been on the farm since the start of May so no pictures or recent sightings of them I'm afraid.

We've AI'd 30 heifers and cows this year with Black Resolution and the returns suggest very good conception rates so fingers crossed that's the case after the experience last year! I've also used 6 Sim straws (Exclusive I think) to see how they compare.

We've also dived in and bought a Stabiliser bull; I've no intention of becoming a multiplier but the only way we're going to establish if the breed can offer the best of both worlds for replacements and commercial finished stock on our system is to test it so that's what we're doing. It's likely we'll be adding a 3rd stock bull to the herd next year as numbers rise but at the moment I'm leaning towards a continental, most likely a Lim. I only buy bulls with EBV's now and the Blondes have just about given up on recording which is quite a sad situation really.

Thanks for the update.
Sorry to hear about your Achilles. Get well soon, it must be very frustrating. (Not to mention painful)

 

[foxbox]

Thanks for the update.
Sorry to hear about your Achilles. Get well soon, it must be very frustrating. (Not to mention painful)

I've followed all of the advice and warnings to the letter and was 7 weeks into healing until yesterday when I was told it's re-ruptured. To describe me as frustrated at the moment doesn't really do it justice..

 

[Bill dog]

Oh blimey , sorry to hear that !
Chin up !

 

[Jonny B88]

We had a nightmare with AI last year and so only have 5 Stan The Man calves at foot at the moment (same problem with a Sim AI bull too and chief suspect is the drought that followed AI). I've not checked the records but I think we assisted 3 of those - all presented correctly however all had their front legs pulled back a little (toes under the chin instead of legs extended) so we just drew the legs to extension by hand and walked away. They'd have calved very easily if properly presented and I've no explanation for it, not sure it's fair to pin it on the bull and maybe just one of those things? The birth weights were very consistent around 40 - 42 kg; all were up and suckling very quickly with some great temperament heifers too. The calves were looking well last time I was against them; I've snapped my achilles tendon and barely been on the farm since the start of May so no pictures or recent sightings of them I'm afraid.

We've AI'd 30 heifers and cows this year with Black Resolution and the returns suggest very good conception rates so fingers crossed that's the case after the experience last year! I've also used 6 Sim straws (Exclusive I think) to see how they compare.

We've also dived in and bought a Stabiliser bull; I've no intention of becoming a multiplier but the only way we're going to establish if the breed can offer the best of both worlds for replacements and commercial finished stock on our system is to test it so that's what we're doing. It's likely we'll be adding a 3rd stock bull to the herd next year as numbers rise but at the moment I'm leaning towards a continental, most likely a Lim. I only buy bulls with EBV's now and the Blondes have just about given up on recording which is quite a sad situation really.

Sorry to hear of the injury, frustrating time of year! Hope it heals for you. Whats the breeding of the new bull?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

I've followed all of the advice and warnings to the letter and was 7 weeks into healing until yesterday when I was told it's re-ruptured. To describe me as frustrated at the moment doesn't really do it justice..

Sorry to hear that.
All the best.

 

[Bill dog]

How's your brother got on @Bill dog ?
And @foxbox ?

From my brother. Stabiliser cows with cockerington bred char calves!

 

[foxbox]

Sorry to hear of the injury, frustrating time of year! Hope it heals for you. Whats the breeding of the new bull?

He's Wraycastle Treadway, his breeding means little to me at this stage as I don't really know the breed at all but you're welcome to look him up and draw your own conclusions of him. He's settled in well and is working at the moment so I couldn't really ask for more at this stage. Time will tell I guess.

 

[Dan7626]

@Jonny B88
Remembered I hadn't updated this since calving. Got 6 Stan the man calves running. (Lost 1 at 4 days old unexplainedly. Was born fine and sucked itself and was fine for first 3 days)
Birth weights have been maybe a kg or 2 heavier than my average - mostly low 40's.
All calved unassisted, though the 1 heifer that calved to him prolapsed after calving.

Some pics -
View attachment 811084 View attachment 811086 View attachment 811088 View attachment 811090

Got my eye on the first 1 for a replacement stock bull. Here he is again.
View attachment 811094

You can tell he is a Stan the man calf, here is 1 of ours off him

 

[JP1]

I've followed all of the advice and warnings to the letter and was 7 weeks into healing until yesterday when I was told it's re-ruptured. To describe me as frustrated at the moment doesn't really do it justice..

I did mine completely. All I'd say is follow all the advice to the letter. Presumably you're in a support boot. Count off the 2 week intervals when they take each one of the wedges out. When it's just the support boot, you can get used to moving quite quickly without a crutch. The most important bit IMHO is to get a good physio when the boot comes off to get the strength back and equalise the two legs quickly

Do the stairs practices and keep doing them so the other one doesn't go!!

All the best

 

[foxbox]

I did mine completely. All I'd say is follow all the advice to the letter. Presumably you're in a support boot. Count off the 2 week intervals when they take each one of the wedges out. When it's just the support boot, you can get used to moving quite quickly without a crutch. The most important bit IMHO is to get a good physio when the boot comes off to get the strength back and equalise the two legs quickly

Do the stairs practices and keep doing them so the other one doesn't go!!

All the best

I went to a private consultant on Friday last week; it turns out the staff in the plaster room at our hospital were wrong and I haven't re-ruptured after all . Obviously very relieved, he did an ultrasound to prove it to me as well but how you can get a diagnosis that wrong I'm not entirely sure! In fairness it's really difficult to see a consultant via the NHS but I'm just glad I got a second opinion at the moment.

I'm in a Vacoped boot, no wedges as it has a fancy slide system to adjust it but exactly the same principle. Thanks for the advice though; I've followed my instructions to the letter so far and will do, reminders like yours are helpful as the temptation to rush forward is quite strong at the moment...

 

[Formatted]

View attachment 811798
From my brother. Stabiliser cows with cockerington bred char calves!

Sorry to dig this back up, 3 years on, right decision?

 

[Bill dog]

Sorry to dig this back up, 3 years on, right decision?

Yep, he’s still doing exactly the same !